


Fundamental Things

by hjea



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Female Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-08
Updated: 2014-02-08
Packaged: 2018-01-11 15:02:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1174478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hjea/pseuds/hjea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Felicity is in the foundry late when Sara comes to see her. She's not interested in keeping any more secrets either. Post-2x13.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fundamental Things

**Author's Note:**

> The working title of this was "something not as clichéd as 'this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship'." So I ganked a lyric from "As Time Goes By" instead. Because I am ~subtle~. 
> 
> Thanks as ever to the marvellous [fidesangelus](http://fidesangelus.tumblr.com/) for giving this a thorough once-over. Any remaining mistakes are my own.

 

It was late, and Felicity had promised Diggle and Oliver that she would be right behind them when they had left... half an hour ago. But she was just about wrapped up and ready to go when _something_ caused her to pause.

 

“Hi Felicity.”

 

Felicity jumped and spun in her chair to see Sara standing behind her, looking a little guilty.

 

“Sorry.”

 

“No that's okay, I just didn't hear you.” Felicity put a hand to her chest and then gestured at Sara. “But of course I didn't, um, vigilante super powers, I should be used to it by now, right?”

 

Sara's mouth turned up in that little half-smile Felicity was beginning to recognize would have been a laugh from anyone else. She felt oddly proud that she could get a reaction like that out of the serious woman. She smiled back.

 

“Oliver isn't here.”

 

“No, I know. I wanted to talk to you actually,” Sara shifted on her feet, “If that's okay?”

 

“Oh, uh, sure!” Felicity gestured to an empty space on her desk and Sara leaned against it gratefully. “Shoot.”

 

“Oliver and I slept together.”

 

Felicity was suddenly extremely glad she was sitting down. As it was she couldn't stop her eyes widening and she gulped ridiculously a few times before she managed a strangled “Oh?”

 

Sara was looking down at her hands twisting in her lap. “Last night, after well... not a great beginning to the family reunion,” Sara laughed hollowly, “and what I guess you could call a bad break up.” She sighed. “Oliver understands a lot of my past. Not everything, but more than most people ever will. And I think we both needed some... comfort.”

 

Sara flicked her eyes quickly at Felicity and then lowered them again.

 

Felicity swallowed. “Okay. Uh, Oliver _didn't_ ask you to tell me, did he?”

 

Sara grimaced. “Oh no, we didn't... He didn't say anything. I wanted to.” She was picking at something invisible under a nail now, apparently unwilling or unable to look at Felicity directly. “Our lives have a lot of secrets, but I don't want to keep more than I have to. Not anymore. I know how much this team means to Ollie.”

 

“Okay.” Felicity echoed again, wishing fervently that she could think of something else to say. “It's just,” she cleared her throat, “Why are you telling me? I mean... just me?”

 

Sara didn't say anything, but the look she gave Felicity said everything it needed to.

 

Felicity felt her whole face begin to flush. “Sara, Oliver and I aren't---”

 

“No, I know,” Sara said, “But I think you...” She trailed off, but the look she was giving her now was decidedly _sympathetic_ and Felicity winced.

 

“--Okay,” Felicity cursed inwardly at the repetition, but held up a hand. “Believe it or not, you're the second person in as many days to try and tell me what my feelings are for Oliver.”

 

She was gratified somewhat to see Sara flush red herself and look apologetically at her. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean---”

 

“---No, it's okay.” Felicity blew at a breath and felt the tattered edges of her composure come together a little more. “I can't say I've never _noticed_ Oliver. I mean obviously--you've seen what he looks like without a shirt on.” Sara conceded with a wry tip of her head. “And the whole hero-complex 'I have to save everyone, whatever the cost to myself' thing would take a pretty strong person to not find a little affecting. But he's also... difficult, and not exactly the nicest person all the time, and to say 'short fuse' would really be doing the term a disservice.”

 

Sara chuckled.

 

“And then sometimes he...” Felicity opened and closed her hands in a helpless gesture. “...Focuses in on you like you're the only person in the world who matters. He tries so hard to fix everything. And my life is so much better now that he's in it. So I guess it's--” Felicity rolled her eyes at herself but couldn't come up with a better word, “--Complicated.”

 

“I get that.” Sara nodded. “And I'm sorry, if I've made it more complicated.”

 

“No, don't be sorry. Oliver wouldn’t be Oliver without… stockpiling complications any chance he gets. But you should know that... that he is someone on a probably-too-short list of people who are really really important to me. I won't let anyone on that list be hurt if I can help it.”

 

Sara nodded again and shifted uncomfortably, and then looked up shocked when Felicity reached out and clasped her hand.

 

“It would be nice if you were on it too.”

 

Sara froze, and Felicity held her breath, suddenly sure that she'd done the wrong thing. “I’m sorry! Touching traumatized ex-assassins without their express permission is a giant no-no, isn't it?” Sara didn’t reply, but slowly, Felicity felt her squeeze her hand back, her other hand moving quickly to wipe a tear away from her cheek. Felicity stared at her aghast. “I didn't mean to---”

 

“No, it's fine.” Sara looked up, and for the first time that evening looked Felicity straight in the eyes. “That's just the nicest thing someone has said to me in a long time. Thank you.”

 

“Oh.” Felicity blushed again. “You're welcome.”

 

The two women stared at each other a moment more.

 

“This might be a little awkward but do you have a place to stay? Other than an abandoned clock tower I mean because--not to knock it--I don't have a lot of space, but I do have a couch. A comfortable one too. Which I should know since I keep falling asleep on it before I can make it to my bed.”

 

Sara smiled again, her mouth twisting like it still wasn't quite used to the feeling. “You know, a couch sounds great.”

 

“Okay!” Felicity huffed a laugh at herself but went with it. She stood up, grabbed her purse off the desk and gestured Sara towards the stairs.

 

“Do you like Chinese food?”

 

“I do actually.”

 

“Oh good, because there is _no_ food at my place. I mean literally nothing. At least, I think there's a bottle of vodka in the freezer but that is it.”

 

Sara's laughter echoed off the foundry's walls.

 

“I can live with that.”

  
\--  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Those of you who've seen my tumblr will probably not be surprised to know that I've been completely overwhelmed by an avalanche of Sara Lance feels. Pretty much since the character was first introduced, but doubly so since the last episode aired. I just want good things to happen for her, and topping that list is how much I'd LOVE to see a friendship grow between her and Felicity. And I don't think Sara's relationship with Oliver--whatever form it takes--would stand in the way of that. 
> 
> Of course I also have realistic if unfortunate expectations that this might be thoroughly jossed by 2x14, so I needed to get it out in the universe before then.
> 
> (Also the idea of Sara crashing with Felicity is shamelessly stolen from [how ruthless are the gentle by jaegermighty](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1171295), which everyone should immediately go read. But I love the idea of these two being the best, most buttkickingest roomies ever not to spread it around as much as possible.)


End file.
